Box.



A. OJ HUBBARD.

BOX.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 12, 1906.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. 0. HBBARD.

` BOX.

12, 190e. y f

Patented Dec.8,1908.

. 2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

/f/'s Arran/V575;

ARTHUR O. HUBBARD, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

BOX.

Specification of Letters '.atent.

Application ledMarch 12, 1906.

Patented Dec. 8, loos.

Serial N0. 305,521.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR O. HUBBARD, of Minneapolis, Hennepin county,Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boxes,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to boxes used for package shipping and deliveringpurposes, and the object of the invention is to provide a box ofeconomical construction, and one that will be strong and durable, and inthe construction of which comparatively thin, inexpensive lumber can beused.

rIhe invention consists, generally, in providing a box having wallscomposed of comparatively thin narrow strips, and improved means forsecuring the said strips together to form the panels of the box.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figurel is a perspective view of the box embodying my in-` vention. Fig. 2 isa similar view with the top and one side wall removed. Fig. 3 is adetail sectional view illustrating the means employed for securing theparts of the wall panels together. Fig. 4 is a perspective viewillustrating the manner of making the sides and bottom of the box in onecontinuous strip or panel. Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating apanel or continuous strip before it'is folded to form the walls of thebox. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view showing the grooves provided toreceive thel binding wire, and Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing thewires fitting within the grooves on each side ofl the panel and themeans for binding the opposite wires together. Fig. S is a detailshowing means for binding the wires together between the strips.

In the drawing, 2 represents the end panels of the box, 3 the sides, 4the bottom, and 5 the top. The sides, bottom and top are all composed ofcomparatively thin narrow strips 6 placed edge to edge, and havinggrooves 7 extending transversely therein near each end entirely aroundthe panel. These grooves, which are for the purpose of partiallyconcealing and protecting the wires and preventing them from being bentor broken by contact with any other object, are of any suitable depthand width varying usually with the size of the box and the purpose forwhich it is to be used. The panels are preferably provided with thegrooves, but I donot confine myself to their use, as the wires, whendrawn and embedded by the staples as described, will perform theirfunctions of holding the strips together, even if the grooves areomitted. In the box shown in Sheet l the panels are all formedseparately each comprising a suitable number of strips to obtain thedesired width of panel.

For the purpose of binding the strips together a wire 8 is laid in eachgroove extending entirely around the panel and having its ends securedtogether in any suitable way, as by binding and interlocking them, or bytwisting them together on one edge of the panel, as indicated at 9 inFig. 3. The twist ing of the wire ends will draw it taut in the grooves,and for the purpose of binding the opposite parallel leads of the wiretogether and closing the joints between the strips composing the panel,I provide staples 10 which are forced through the strips on one sidestraddling the wire. on' that side, and then have their ends clenched orbent around the wire on the other side thereby forcing the wire into thewood on each side of the panel and forming little offsets orbends 11 inthe wire and drawing up or shortening the same to such an extent thatthe edges of the stri s composing the panel will bedrawn snug yftogether and firmly held in that position. I prefer to employ onestaple for each strip arranged substantially as shown in Fig. 3, but thenumber used may be varied according to the width of the strips. areinserted and locked around the wires, the edges of the strips will bedrawn together so snugly that the panels will be as stiff and inflexibleas though composed of a single piece, instead of being made up of anumber of narrow strips. The end panels are made in the same way and inaddition have border strips l2 extending around their edges and bracingand strengthening the same and forming nailing surfaces for the side,top and bottom panels. The strips 12 preferably have miteredinterlocking ends, so that neat substantial joints may be formed betweenthe strips at the corners of the anels. The strips composing the endpane s will be secured to the strips 12 by nails or other suitablemeans.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a box composed of panels constructed inthe same way, but with the side walls and bottom made in one continuoussheet lor panel folded at the corners. The strips are grooved in thesame manner on-each side, and the wires are fitted therein and stapled,as `described `with ref- .Ihen these staples,

erence to Fig. 3, the edges of the strips being firmly bound together bythe shortening of.4

the wires when the staples are inserted; and

each panel, even those of considerable length, can be handled as'oneboard. The panels made in this way can not only beutilized to form thebottom, sides and top of a box, but manufactured ofl comparatively thinmaterial may serve as a wrapper to protect various articles ofmerchandise while being shipped from place to place. Boxes of the kindheretofore described are usually manufactured and shipped to the usersin knock-downform, being put together at the destination by nailingmachines and used extensively for packing and shipping all kinds of;merchandise. A box, therefore, which will be ofcomparatively thinmaterialand of light construction, but capable of considerableroughhandling and of carrying a considerable load, has beenY found to beespecially serviceable for packing and shippingl purposes. lf one of theboards or strips becomes broken in an ordinary box, the contents areliable to fallout, and in some instances the box will when partiallybroken soon fall` entirely in pieces. A box made as herein described,however, cannot fall apart,

should one of the panels or strips become split or broken, as the wireswill bind it to the other strips and prevent it from becoming. detachedand lost.

The strips bound` together by the wires form a fabric that'canbevshipped fiat, and

which may be formed into a box or other package. l prefer to bind' thewires together between the slats (see Figs. 5 and 8) by av staple orwire 18 at the points where the corners are to-be formed.

The details: of the construction may be varied' in many particularswithout depart'-v ing from my invention.

I claim as my invention:

l'. A box having walls composed of a series offstrips, a wire extendingaround the strips, and staples connecting the opposite leads of the wirethroughy said strips and' formingoffsets or bends inthe wire whereby itwill be drawn taut around" the strips Aand the edges of' said stripswill be drawn snugly together, for the purpose specified.

2. A- box wall composed of a series ofi strips, a wire extending'acrossthe str-ips,and means for securing the several strips tosaid' wire andforming offsets or` bendsin the wire to embed! the wire in the stripsandi exertz atension on. the wire tov drawl andi hold together the edgesof the strips, substantially as described.`

3. A box` wall composed of a, series off strips, a wire extending acrossthestrips, and

staples extending across the Wire and forcedinto the body of the stripsat points distant lfromthe edges of, the strips to form offsets in theopposite leads of' said'wire whereby itwill: be drawn taut around thepanel and the edges of saidstripswill be drawn'snugl'y together,substantially as described.

5. A box composed of panels-made up of comparatively narrow stripshavingl transverse grooves near each end extending around the panel,wires fitting within said grooves and having theirl ends securedtogether, and staples passingv through said strips in the bottom oflsaid grooves and connecting the opposite leads-of the wires and bindingthem and the edges-of saidstrips'securely together, substantially asdescribed.

6. A panel composed ofa series of narrow stripsplaced edge to edge,wires extending along both sides of the'panel and around the ends, andstaples connecting the leads of the wires onopposite sides of thepaneland formingfwhen clenched or bent around the same inwardly turned.offsets or bends therein whereby the wires will be tightened-between theends ofv the panel andthe edges of the strips will be drawn snuglytogether, substantially as described.

7l A panell composed ofl a series of. comparatively thin woodenstripsplaced edge'toA edgeand having transverse groovesion their surfaces-onbot-h sides extending f'romfend to end ofthe panel, w-ires fittingwithin said grooves-and extending along both sidesof the panel andaround theends thereof, and the ends of saidl wiresv beingj interlockedor secured together, and-staples driven through said strips from side toside and" st'raddling the Wires and havingv their ends bent or clenchedaroundf the `wires on one side where-V by offsets` orbends will beformed in thev wires andforced into the wood, andthe wires will beltightened between the endsoff the panel and the edges of' the stripsdrawn snugly together, substantially as described.

In witness whereof', I"y have hereunto set my hand` this 7th day ofMarch 1906.-

ARTHrUR' O. HUBBARD.

Witnesses:

G1. HANsoN, A'. Cl PAUL.

lio

